February 2, 2026 | Long Beach Harbor, California
MT California (Crowley Alaska Tankers) was photographed in Long Beach Harbor on February 2, 2026, during the Royal Rendezvous between Queen Mary 2 and the permanently berthed Queen Mary. My son had sailed aboard the tanker during his 2024 Cal Maritime commercial cruise, giving the photographs a personal connection. Built in the United States as Eagle Bay in 2015, she joined Crowley in 2018.
MT California was photographed in Long Beach Harbor on February 2, 2026, during the Royal Rendezvous between Queen Mary 2 and the permanently berthed Queen Mary. The tanker brought a personal connection to an already memorable morning: my son had sailed aboard her during his 2024 Cal Maritime commercial cruise. Seeing a familiar working ship beside the preserved liner connected his maritime training with our coverage of the reunion between the two Queens.
Built by Aker Philadelphia Shipyard in the United States, the tanker entered service in 2015 as Eagle Bay for SeaRiver Maritime. Crowley acquired and renamed her California in 2018, continuing her work carrying Alaskan crude oil to West Coast refineries. At about 823 feet long and 62,318 GT, she was designed around cargo tanks, pumping systems and the practical requirements of transporting petroleum between American ports. Crowley published a cargo capacity of 760,000 barrels when announcing the completed acquisition.
These photographs place California within the harbor activity surrounding the Royal Rendezvous, with Queen Mary providing a familiar backdrop. Our connection with the tanker began during my son’s commercial cruise from May through July 2024, which included Valdez, Port Angeles, San Francisco and El Segundo. This gallery features the ship in Long Beach in February 2026, bringing that earlier family experience into a different photographic setting.
Information List
Name: California, commonly identified as MT California
Former Name: Eagle Bay
Owner: Crowley Alaska Tankers, LLC
Original Operator: SeaRiver Maritime
Type: Crude oil tanker
Design: Liberty-class Aframax tanker
Builder: Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, United States
Delivered: 2015
Acquired and Renamed by Crowley: 2018
Length Overall: About 823 feet / 251 meters
Beam: About 144 feet / 44 meters
Gross Tonnage: 62,318 GT
Deadweight: 114,756 metric tons
Cargo Capacity Published by Crowley: 760,000 barrels
Hull Construction: Double hull
IMO Number: 9642095
Flag: United States
Primary Trade: Alaskan crude oil transportation to U.S. West Coast refineries
Sister Ship: Washington, originally Liberty Bay
Gallery Date: February 2, 2026
Gallery Location: Long Beach Harbor, California
Event Context: Royal Rendezvous between Queen Mary 2 and Queen Mary
Family Connection: My son sailed aboard during his 2024 Cal Maritime commercial cruise
History and Features
Construction and Entry into Service:
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard built the tanker in the United States under the original name Eagle Bay.
The ship was delivered to SeaRiver Maritime, ExxonMobil’s U.S. marine affiliate, in 2015.
Her construction followed sister ship Liberty Bay, delivered in 2014.
The two Liberty-class Aframax tankers were built for the transportation of Alaskan North Slope crude oil to the U.S. West Coast.
Their design included double-hull protection, modern navigation equipment and machinery systems intended to support efficient commercial operation.
Design and Cargo Handling:
California measures about 251 meters long and 44 meters wide, with a broad hull arranged around the carriage of liquid cargo.
Her 62,318 GT measurement describes the ship’s enclosed volume, while her deadweight figure relates to the weight she can carry.
Crowley published a cargo capacity of 760,000 barrels in its announcement confirming the ship’s acquisition in April 2018.
Internal cargo tanks and pumping systems support loading and discharge operations at petroleum terminals.
The double-hull arrangement provides an additional protective structure around the cargo spaces.
Crowley Acquisition and Renaming:
Crowley Alaska Tankers completed the acquisition of three SeaRiver vessels in April 2018.
Eagle Bay became California, while sister ship Liberty Bay was renamed Washington.
The third vessel, SR American Progress, became Oregon.
The acquisition retained the ships within U.S.-flag commercial service.
For California, the change of ownership and name continued an existing connection with the Alaska oil trade.
Service between Alaska and the West Coast:
California has worked in the trade carrying crude oil from Alaska to refineries along the U.S. West Coast.
The Valdez Marine Terminal receives oil transported south through the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.
Tankers loading at Valdez provide the seagoing connection between that terminal and West Coast discharge facilities.
Southern California forms part of this operating region, with Long Beach and El Segundo connected to the tanker’s service history.
A U.S. Army account of a passage aboard California describes loading crude oil at Valdez and sailing south to Long Beach, illustrating the ship’s working route.
Our Family’s Cal Maritime Connection:
My son sailed aboard California during his Cal Maritime commercial cruise from May through July 2024.
His time aboard included Valdez, Alaska; Port Angeles, Washington; and San Francisco and El Segundo, California.
A commercial cruise places maritime cadets aboard an operating merchant vessel as part of their practical training.
That experience gave the tanker a personal significance within our collection before these February 2026 photographs were taken.
The historical Cal Maritime name remains appropriate when describing his 2024 cruise, reflecting the school’s name at the time.
Long Beach Harbor — February 2, 2026:
California was photographed in Long Beach Harbor during the morning’s Royal Rendezvous.
Queen Mary 2 approached the permanently berthed Queen Mary for their first reunion in Long Beach in nearly 20 years.
The occasion fell during the 90th anniversary year of the original liner’s maiden voyage.
These photographs include California beside Queen Mary, connecting a contemporary American tanker with a preserved passenger liner.
The tanker’s presence added a familiar ship from my son’s maritime training to our photographs of the harbor that morning.
OLP Social: Seen beside Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor, she was a familiar sight after my son sailed aboard her during his 2024 Cal Maritime commercial training cruise.
OLP Social 2: Built by Aker Philadelphia Shipyard in the United States, she entered service as Eagle Bay in 2015 before joining Crowley’s tanker fleet under a new name in 2018.
OLP Social 3: At 823 feet long and 62,318 gross tons, she has a cargo capacity reported by Crowley as 760,000 barrels, showing the scale of a working crude oil tanker.
OLP Social 4: Her regular trade links Valdez, Alaska, with West Coast refineries, carrying North Slope crude delivered to the loading terminal by the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
